Native American Oral Literature (posted 13 October 2004)

The Creator created a male and female of the white, and one of each of the yellow [Ottaway term for themselves] skinned people. The creation of the whites took place first. When this creation took place is not known. But the Males and Females were found to wander apart and discover no disposition for any sexual connection. The Creator to produce an inclination for a more intimate association and to use the means of multiplication: he took a rib from the side of each of the white couple. And the rib of the male he replaced with that of the female, and the rib o the male was placed in the side of the female. And the red [sic: the transcriber's use, I'm sure.] skinned pair were treated in the same manner. This was found to produce an inclination for sexual intimacy.

The creator clothed them. And when the two couple lie down to sleep at night he placed an apple by the side of each pair directing them not to touch or eat of them. In the morning it appeared that the woman of the yellow skin people had eaten the apple that was laid near the two, and they were naked. The white skinned people had not eaten the apple placed for a temptation; and their clothing remained upon them.

The Creator now spoke to them and said. You, the yellow skinned people have transgressed by eating the apple I forbid you to eat. Therefore, your clothes are taken from you, and you are left naked. I give you the animals of the forest for your food and their skins to cover you. But, there shall be a time when you will require other clothing and then you shall call upon the people of white skins to give you assistance. Those of white skins were placed to the east of the great salt water, and the yellow skins to the west." [from "Tradition of the Ottaway Indians by Benjamin Franklin Stickney" by Kenneth Dickson, _Northwest Ohio Quarterly_, Vol 71, #3/4, Summer/Autumn 1999, pp62-80] [source]